Florida Strawberry Festival, AKA "2009 Fair Food Preview"
One advantage to living in Florida is that our winters are perfect for fair season. While you're enjoying your fire company carnivals in late spring, summer and early fall, it's too hot here to really enjoy these events.
Because our events kick off the 'fair season' year, we get to see the cutting edge in what's new and hot in fair food. Like last year, we're finding new delicacies and things that make you wonder 'What were they thinking?' BTW, Last year's new things were Fried Coke (funnel cake dough made with Coke syrup, Walking Tacos (basically Frito Pie) and Brats on a Stick (corndog style Bratwursts).
I took a video of the taffy pulling machine, but I know better than to try and upload it. Today, I'm hearing from my children how horrible it is that they've never had taffy. (They have, but don't remember it, since Gameboy can't have the dyed stuff.)
The spelling error made me laugh, because we had a fantastic English teacher at my HS named Mr. Pickel. He was not a guy who deserved to be fried...
Typical Fair food is stuff you can eat while walking. I'm trying to figure out how pasta is fair food. For some reason, Chef Jr chose Pizza as his meal last night, even after I'd said the point of the fair is to get food you don't normally find elsewhere.
This is what I think of when I think of Fair food! Gameboy got one of those Brats on a stick and loved it. I had a couple of bites and it was really good, especially since it was one of those brats that have cheese inside.
The smell of sausage and peppers wafting from the many booths was wonderful. I don't know how it is that I can make sausage and peppers, but it's NEVER as good as what you find at the fair.
My choice for dinner? An awesome Gyro. Really awesome. I should have taken a picture of the booth. Funny thing is that I got the largest drink and it came in one of those souvenier cups. For the South Carolina State Fair. Ed got a 'Que sandwich, from a both operated by one of the local joints.
Once again, I'm wondering how pasta is fair food. Later that night, I realized that these places are probably a good alternative to all the fried stuff for those who work the fairs or are there showing their livestock. It still doesn't make it walking food.
Again, salad isn't traditional fair food, but the rest of it sounds good.
Now we're talking. Desserts. One kid wanted a funnel cake, the other ice cream. Both ended up with ice cream, which is a bummer, because I love how we get a funnel cake and share it. The funnel cake stands are everywhere, and they will be at your fair, too. Something we have and you don't is multiple strawberry shortcake booths, strawberries on a stick dipped in chocolate and other yummy stuff.
(We bought a half flat of strawberries so we can make our own strawberry shortcakes tonight. Hmmm, guess I better start mascerating some strawberries to make that happen.)
Oh, you're wondering what's new this year? Well, I kept hearing about this stuff and chocolate dipped bacon. Yes, you read that right. Another booth also had cinnamon dusted pork rinds. Ewww. Deep fried Snickers, milky ways, and other candy bars could be found. I did not see a single place offering deep fried Twinkies, so I'll bet that the booths offering the bacon this year probably did that in years past.
Eventually, looking at all the booths to find treats gets you caught up in the hype. Chef Junior said "Woah, look at that-they've got ICE CREAM on a stick!" Then he realized that duh, that's a popsicle. It was pretty funny to us.
One thing I did want to have passed me by. I love the roasted corn ears, but I never found a booth offering it when I was hungry. Oh well-it's a reason to go to another fair.
And, while not food, here's two more pictures. One popular thing and one confusing one.
Each time we went by this booth, there was a crowd waiting to do it and watching. For 20 bucks, you put on green shirts and are in a green background booth. This way, only your head shows-and it gets superimposed on a dancing body. This is a DVD you get for 20 bucks. It's comical to watch, but I wouldn't spend the 20 bucks. (the ones pictured were shown dancing to "Barbie Girl"
The sign says "Add Natures Touch to Your Pond, Pool, Deck or Garden".
Nature's Touch? I didn't realize that Polyvinyl Chloride occurred in Nature!
Finally, we went and looked at the cows. You know your kids are raised differently from you when they know all the different breeds of cow. One cracked me up, the Holstein being shown at the Festival was named "Cheeseburger".
And that's your fair food preview. Hope it helps you to plan wisely for the summer fair going season!
ETA-Ed informed me that there were deep friend Twinkies, but they were chocolate dipped. However, it was one booth, and I might have been distracted by the call of the Gyros at the time...
Because our events kick off the 'fair season' year, we get to see the cutting edge in what's new and hot in fair food. Like last year, we're finding new delicacies and things that make you wonder 'What were they thinking?' BTW, Last year's new things were Fried Coke (funnel cake dough made with Coke syrup, Walking Tacos (basically Frito Pie) and Brats on a Stick (corndog style Bratwursts).
I took a video of the taffy pulling machine, but I know better than to try and upload it. Today, I'm hearing from my children how horrible it is that they've never had taffy. (They have, but don't remember it, since Gameboy can't have the dyed stuff.)
The spelling error made me laugh, because we had a fantastic English teacher at my HS named Mr. Pickel. He was not a guy who deserved to be fried...
Typical Fair food is stuff you can eat while walking. I'm trying to figure out how pasta is fair food. For some reason, Chef Jr chose Pizza as his meal last night, even after I'd said the point of the fair is to get food you don't normally find elsewhere.
This is what I think of when I think of Fair food! Gameboy got one of those Brats on a stick and loved it. I had a couple of bites and it was really good, especially since it was one of those brats that have cheese inside.
The smell of sausage and peppers wafting from the many booths was wonderful. I don't know how it is that I can make sausage and peppers, but it's NEVER as good as what you find at the fair. My choice for dinner? An awesome Gyro. Really awesome. I should have taken a picture of the booth. Funny thing is that I got the largest drink and it came in one of those souvenier cups. For the South Carolina State Fair. Ed got a 'Que sandwich, from a both operated by one of the local joints.
Once again, I'm wondering how pasta is fair food. Later that night, I realized that these places are probably a good alternative to all the fried stuff for those who work the fairs or are there showing their livestock. It still doesn't make it walking food.
Again, salad isn't traditional fair food, but the rest of it sounds good.
Now we're talking. Desserts. One kid wanted a funnel cake, the other ice cream. Both ended up with ice cream, which is a bummer, because I love how we get a funnel cake and share it. The funnel cake stands are everywhere, and they will be at your fair, too. Something we have and you don't is multiple strawberry shortcake booths, strawberries on a stick dipped in chocolate and other yummy stuff.(We bought a half flat of strawberries so we can make our own strawberry shortcakes tonight. Hmmm, guess I better start mascerating some strawberries to make that happen.)
Oh, you're wondering what's new this year? Well, I kept hearing about this stuff and chocolate dipped bacon. Yes, you read that right. Another booth also had cinnamon dusted pork rinds. Ewww. Deep fried Snickers, milky ways, and other candy bars could be found. I did not see a single place offering deep fried Twinkies, so I'll bet that the booths offering the bacon this year probably did that in years past.
Eventually, looking at all the booths to find treats gets you caught up in the hype. Chef Junior said "Woah, look at that-they've got ICE CREAM on a stick!" Then he realized that duh, that's a popsicle. It was pretty funny to us.One thing I did want to have passed me by. I love the roasted corn ears, but I never found a booth offering it when I was hungry. Oh well-it's a reason to go to another fair.
And, while not food, here's two more pictures. One popular thing and one confusing one.
Each time we went by this booth, there was a crowd waiting to do it and watching. For 20 bucks, you put on green shirts and are in a green background booth. This way, only your head shows-and it gets superimposed on a dancing body. This is a DVD you get for 20 bucks. It's comical to watch, but I wouldn't spend the 20 bucks. (the ones pictured were shown dancing to "Barbie Girl"
The sign says "Add Natures Touch to Your Pond, Pool, Deck or Garden".Nature's Touch? I didn't realize that Polyvinyl Chloride occurred in Nature!
Finally, we went and looked at the cows. You know your kids are raised differently from you when they know all the different breeds of cow. One cracked me up, the Holstein being shown at the Festival was named "Cheeseburger".
And that's your fair food preview. Hope it helps you to plan wisely for the summer fair going season!
ETA-Ed informed me that there were deep friend Twinkies, but they were chocolate dipped. However, it was one booth, and I might have been distracted by the call of the Gyros at the time...
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